10-year plan 2
At the entrance to my supermarket, I was given a copy of the submission form supposedly allowing me to ‘‘have your say’’ about the 10-year plan for Hamilton, 2018-2028.
When I opened the cover, I was immediately informed: 1. The council is borrowing money to pay for everyday costs; 2. Hamilton has grown faster than expected. I find both statements alarming and contrary to any notion of sensible planning. I was then offered seven options of how to increase the rates by over 20 per cent. I was asked to choose an option; not to give any contrary view. This is a weird way of letting me have my say about Hamilton’s future. Let’s just reflect on the two statements in the submission form. I take it the previous 10-year plan did not envisage borrowing to pay for everyday costs; and growing at a rate faster than we could possibly cope with. If there was a sensible long-term plan, council must have simply ignored the plan. Which brings me to my point: what’s the point of the consultation document? Is the whole exercise simply a means of pretending there is some planning happening, while the councillors continue with what they do best – petty personal and political wrangling.
The councillors are proposing yet more growth, higher costs and enormously higher rates. Under the pretence of ‘‘having your say’’, there is no way of indicating we don’t want more growth than the city can cope with, and we don’t want ever increasing costs and debt. We want some PLANNING.
At least I have got it off my chest, even if the submission form does not allow me to have my say.
Stewart Lawrence
Hamilton